Cut-out



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. G. A. FREI.

GUT-OUT.

No. 421,396. l Patented Feb. 18, 1890.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-#Sheet 2. G. A. FREI.

GUT-OUT.

No. 421,396. Patented Feb. 18, 1 890.

UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE.

GUSTAV A. FREI, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE BERNSTEINELECTRIC LIGHT MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

CUT-OUT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 421,396, dated February18, 1890.

i Application iilcd October l2, 1888. Serial No. 287,935. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Beit knownthat I, GUSTAV A. FREI, of

Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented anImprovement in Switches and Cut-Outs for Electric Lights, of y which thefollowing description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, isa specification, like letters and iigures on the drawings representinglike parts.

In an application of Mr. O. S. Bussmann, Serial No. 252,122, tiledOctober 12, 1887, a safety-switch for incandescent lights, dsc., isshown designed to be operated manually to cut into and out of circuitone or several electrically-controlled devices to preserve thecontinuity lof the main circuit, or the conti-I nuity of both the mainand the auxiliary or local circuit containing theelectrically-controlled devices, the said safety-switch being providedwith an automatic circuit-changing device or contact-maker normally helddisengaged by a fusible retaining device, but which, when released, isadapted to preserve the continuity of the circuit. This safetyswitch wasdesigned for use when the circuit containing the lamps or otherelectricallycontrolled devices was found open-as, for instance, by abroken filament or broken wire, in which instance the main line would beopened; but under such circumstances the automatic circuit-chan gingdevice or contactmaker was released and the continuityof the main linepreserved.

This invention has for its object to improve the construction of ltheswitch in several particulars.

It has been found in practice that the contacts between which an arcwould be formed if the auxiliary circuit was found open, when placednear enough together to properly establish the arc and fuse theretaining device,

were so near that an arc was liable to be established at other times andaccidents therefrom liable to occur. In accordance with this invention Ihave provided a magnet, preferably an electro-magnet, in the magneticiield of which the main-line contacts are placed. The magnetic forceserves in well-known manner to suppress an arc if established. In lieuof the spring-controlled plugs shown in the application referred to, apivoted lever or arm held in its abnormal position against the tensionof a spring by a fusible retaining de vice, herein shown as a link, isemployed, the 1 said link being adjacent to the main-line contacts, soas to be heated by the arc estab lished.

Figure 1 shows in front elevation a safetyswitch embodying thisinvention; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the switch shown in Fig. 1,taken on the dotted line 0c 0c; and Fig. 3, a detail showing thesegmental ccntactplates, the plate on the right being broken away tovshow insulating-disk c.'

The circular disk c., of insulating material, having upon each side twocontact-plates, as ai, the shaft as, to which the disk is secured, andthe case A, are substantially as in the application referred to. Acrank-disk 2 is secured to the shaft c3, it having an arm 3, to which isloosely connected the operating-lever l). A yoke or strap a is fastenedto the arm 3, between the upwardly-extending sides of which the lever l)works. Two rods 5 6 are loosely connected to the crank-disk 2eccentrically but at opposite sides of the shaft c3, the outer or freeends of the said rods passing through guides or brackets 7 8.Spiral'springs 9 10 surround the rods 5 6, the outer ends of which bearagainst the guides or brackets 7 8 and the opposite ends bear againstshoulders formed on the rods 5 6. By this construction it will be seenthat as the lever h is moved in one or the other direction it may bemoved slowly until the disk a ar rives at a certain position near thelimit of its movement in one or the other direction, when one or theother spring 5 6 will tend to continue the movement quickly. The resultthus obtained is well known in the art in safetyswitches- Plugs 12 13 le15 are secured to the ease A, to each one of which, respectively, isattached contact-pens 16 17 1S 19, although for safety a duplicate setof pens is employed to co-opcrate with the opposite side of the disk a.These pens 16 17 1S 19 bear upon the contacteplates a', and, as hereinrepresented, the pens 16 17 will be denominated the mainline contactsand the pens 18 19 the auX- iliary-circuit contacts. As herein shown,the pens 16 18 bear upon the same plate, and

IOO

hence a path is offered for the current through the pen 16, plate a',pen 18, and through the auxiliary circuit in the manner to be described,vreturning through the pen 19, plate a, and pen 17 to the main line. Bymoving the operating-lever l) into its other position the pens 16 and 17bear upon the same plate and the pens 1S 19 upon the same plate, andhence the auxiliary circuit is cut out. The contacting ends of the pens16 17 are arranged close together, so that an are may be establishedbetween them if the auxiliary circuit is found open by accident orinadvertence, and the fusible retaining device or link 2O is as near tothe contacting ends of the pens 16 17 as possible, it being looselyconnected at one end with the bracket or arm 21 and at the opposite endwith the short arm 22 of a pivoted lever or arni The link 2O holds thelever 23 in its abnormal position against the tension of the spring 21;but when the said link is fused the lever 2S is released, and is movedby the spring 21 into engagement with the contact-pen 25 to preserve thecontinuity of the circuit. As the pens 16 and 17 are arranged very closetogether, an arc is liable to be established when the auxiliary circuitis complete, and to provide against accident in such cases anelectro-magnet 26 is provided, the pole-pieces of which receive betweenthem the contacting ends of the pens 16 17, so that the arc establishedwill lie in the magnetic iield.- The coil 27 of said electro-magnet isconnected by wire 2S with the block 14, and by wire 29 with the block30, from which leads the auX- iliary circuit. Thus it willbe seen thatwhen the auxiliary circuit is included the coil 27 will also beincluded. The magnetic force of the magnet 26 tends to suppress ordestroy the are which may be formed between the pens 16 and 17, whenanother path for the current is offered.

The safety-switch above described is simple, compact, and veryeiiieient, and4 not liable to get out of order. The magnet 26 may beconnected directly in the main line, if desired.

I claim- 1. In a safety manually-operable switch, the combination,substantially as described, of the following instrumentalities: themovable member and hand-lever for moving it, the main-line contacts 1617, located adjacent to each other, the auxiliary-line contacts 1S 19,constituting stationary members, with which the movable memberco-operates, and the magnetic device in the magnetic field of which theends of said contacts 16 17 lie, the contact-maker 3, and the fusiblelink 20, also located near the ends of the said contacts 16 17, forholding the said contact-maker 23 in its abnormal position.

2. In a safety manually-operable switch, the combination, substantiallyas described, of the disk having two contact-plates constituting themovable member, the hand-lever for moving it, the main-line contacts 1617, auxiliary-line contacts 1S 19, constituting the stationary members,the pivoted spring-controlled contact-lever 23, and fusible link 20,.located near the ends of the contacts 16 17, connected at one end toand normally holding the said lever 23 in its abnormal position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GUSTAV A. FREL W'itnesses:

BERNIcn J. Novus, F. L. EMERY.

